


Turning Point

by Adoradork



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Brothers, Family, Gen, Grief, Hope, Loss, Science Fiction, turtles in time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 16:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7470759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adoradork/pseuds/Adoradork
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are points in time that have special significance, points that can change the path of history. Faced with the extermination of the human race by the Kraang, Donatello must go back to one particular point, to save his family and the human race. But to do so means he is trapped in the past, and his younger self is sent forward to face the end of the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Dawn in two hours. Donatello desperately wanted to push up his breather mask and wipe the sweat off his face, but that would mean a face full of caustic Kraang air, and they had enough difficulties already. So he just blinked the sweat out of his eyes and concentrated on the final connections. The network of wires and plates and scavenged Kraang equipment hummed with energy. Almost ready. Around him the ruins of New York thrust dark fingers into the putrid sky.

A hand rested on his shoulder and he looked up. April's face was tense behind the mask, the skin around the green eyes tight with worry. But the curl of red hair on her forehead was as bright as ever. Sixteen years, five months and twenty-seven days since they had first met and she still looked fantastic. Twenty-eight days, actually, since midnight.

She leaned down until their masks touched. "I'm sending everyone else home. Casey and I will stay for the transfer." Engines burred and three of their four vans peeled away through the ruined streets, taking the rest of the rebel group back to the relative safety of the compound.

He smiled at her and she smiled back, though the lines of worry stayed. He wanted to pull her down for a kiss, but that last kiss had already been shared, hours ago. Now there was only the portal and the journey, possibly his last. He wouldn't think about that.

Instead he concentrated on his hands, on wires and leads and pins that must go together in the right combination. Another hour passed before everything came online and then it was time. He stood and stepped into the clear space in the middle of his creation. Glass crunched under his feet. In the pre-dawn light he could see Casey leaning against the van in studied nonchalance. No need to tell him to look after her. They shared a nod.

In a few quick steps April was by his side, her gloved hand gripping his. He leaned down until their breathers touched.

"Good luck," she said.

He squeezed her hand. "This could be forever, April."

"I know."

She stepped over to the control panel, her hand on the toggle that would fire up the portal and either send him back, as planned, or tear him to atoms. Which was a possibility, though the probability was low. Fairly low. His skin crawled in anticipation. April's hand hovered over the toggle, unmoving.

"Press it, Red," he said, knowing she would see him speak but not hear what he was saying. He felt again for the plasma blaster on his back. April's hand moved and the world shimmered around him.

_Here we go._


	2. Familiar Stranger

They were winning. Raphael could feel it, in the crunch of footbot bodies under his foot, in the spark and snap of electronics as he drove his sai into another black-clad chest. For a moment there were no enemies in front of him. He scanned the warehouse for his brothers. Mikey and Donnie were carving their way through a group of footbots. Leo was facing off against Fishface. Raph gripped his sai, a feral grin streaking across his face. A good fish-kicking would round out the night perfectly. Leo needed to learn to share.

He was already in hurtling toward Leo when a dark shadow appeared above his brother. Raph cried a warning, but too late. Rahzar landed with his full weight on Leo, slamming him into the ground.

The crack of Leo's head hitting the floor went through Raphael like an electric shock. His vision blurred as he charged toward his fallen brother. He would kill Rahzar for this, skin the ugly dog-thing alive.

He saw the flash of metal out of the corner of his eye. Pain laced across his shoulders, the blow slamming him into the floor. He rolled away without thinking and came up onto one knee, sai up and ready.

Shredder rose to his full height, steel claws extended. Fishface landed beside Shredder, wide mouth open in sneering delight. "That went well," he said.

Behind them, Leo struggled beneath Rahzar, but the mutant was kneeling on Leo's back and his weight was too much. He yanked one of Leo's arms up. Raph spotted Leo's katana just out of reach. _Got to get it to him_ , he thought. _Then Leo can take care of Rahzar while I take down Shredder. And Fishface._

"So," said Shredder. "We will do this again."

"It's not going to be like last time, Shred-head," snapped Raphael. In his peripheral vision Mikey and Donnie appeared, weapons up, focus on their enemies. Good. There would be no losing tonight. They could take them. He just needed to get Leo free. "Let Leo go, or-."

Shredder's sneering laugh echoed off the walls. "Tell me where Hamato-Yoshi hides, and your brother will live."

"Don't you dare, Raphael," gasped Leo. He kicked out at Rahzar, but Rahzar slammed him back onto the concrete.

"As if I would." Raph flicked his sai into a different hold, ready to charge. "Ready for a beat-down, Tin Man?"

"Bradford," snapped Shredder. "Tear the turtle's arm off."

Rahzar leaned back, pulling Leo's arm with him. Agony tore across Leo's face. Raphael snarled and charged at them, hearing the whirl of nunchaku behind him. But Shredder intercepted him, blocking his charge, slamming him back into his brothers.

Leo screamed. Raphael's vision went red and he charged again. He blocked Shredder's first slash, steel ringing against steel. Then searing pain coursed up his arm and the sai in his right hand fell from numb fingers. Shredder's next strike sent Mikey sprawling.

Leo's scream broke off abruptly. Raphael looked in horror at the limp form of his brother, his arm still attached but not lying as it should. No. How had this gone so bad so fast? He charged forward, following Donnie's attack. They had to bring Shredder down.

Fishface kicked out and Donnie flew over his head, slamming into a glass wall that shattered into a cascade of shards. That was the moment he realised they were losing. Had already lost. _I've got to get them out of here._ But Leo was still pinned, unmoving, beneath Rahzar.

Shredder slashed at Mikey, who dodged, eyes wide, and flung shuriken that bounced harmlessly from Shredder's armor. Shredder's foot lashed out and then Mikey was on the floor, gasping, curled around himself. Raph gripped his sai and prepared to defend his brothers.

Light burst from behind him, searing-bright, washing everything from his sight. He was blind. Panic was a hot taste in the back of his mouth. What was going on? Then the light was gone, but afterimages skittered across his vision. _Shredder standing over Mikey. Leo and Rahzar._ He shook his head, trying to force his eyes to _see._

A burst of plasma fire came from his left, slamming into Rahzar's chest, hurling him off Leo and into the wall. The scent of charred skin filled the warehouse. _Kraang? Now?_ Another burst of fire and Shredder was leaping away, ducking, diving for cover. Mikey yelped, pressed into the floor with his arms over his head. But Shredder and Fishface were running, and maybe he and his brothers could get away, now.

"Donnie! Get Mikey," he said, turning to meet the new threat.

But Donnie wasn't there. In the ruins of the glass wall where Donnie had been, another turtle stood; tall, scarred, with a plasma gun in his hands.

"What the-" He scanned the warehouse frantically for Donnie, but there was no sign of his brother. "Donnie!"

The strange turtle glanced at him once, face set and grim, then leaped over Mikey and ran after Shredder.

"Donnie!" he yelled again. Where was he? Raphael ran to Mikey, his frantic gaze searching for Donnie's lean form.

"What the heck was that?" Mikey's startled gaze met his.

"I have no idea. Are you okay?" He put a hand under Mikey's elbow and hauled him to his feet. Mikey nodded, his face set.

Raphael landed on his knees beside his fallen brother. Leo breathed, but his arm lay at an awful angle and Raphael, never good with injury or sickness, choked down bile.

"Where's Donnie?" said Mikey behind him.

"I don't know," he snapped. "But when I find him-" He left the words unsaid. He rolled Leo over onto his back, shook him as hard as he dared. _Wake up, bro._

Footsteps approached. Raph drew his sai in one smooth movement, standing over Leo, facing down the strange turtle. Up close he could see the network of scars on the green hide, the hard lines around the brown eyes, the deep gouges in the plastron that spoke of years of abuse. He was easily as tall as Shredder and towered over them.

"What have you done with my brother?" Raphael snarled.

The turtle gave him a measured look. "I am your brother, meathead." The voice was rough and worn, too, but there was a horrible familiarity to it.

"The hell you are." He tightened his grip on his weapon. "Where-"

The turtle grinned, no humour in his dark eyes. With a shock of recognition Raphael saw the gap in his teeth, and suddenly the long lines _were_ familiar. But no mask, no staff. Just the plasma gun, hanging almost casually from the long fingers.

"But-"

"Stop trying to think, meathead. I don't have time for you to catch up."

Raphael felt the rage build at his casually dismissive tone. The stranger slung the gun on his back and knelt down next to Leo. Raphael fought down the urge to strike at him. The turtle, _not_ his brother, it couldn't be, slid arms under Leo's shoulders and knees.

"We need to go _now_." He rose to his feet, muscles bunching. Raphael stared. He knew how much Leo weighed, but the stranger carried him easily. "What-"

" _Home_ , Raphael. Come on." The stranger pushed past them, Leo in his arms.

Raph's mind whirled. Anger warred with the need to get Leo back to the lair, to Splinter. Yes, Splinter. Sensei could deal with this.

"What is going _on_?" said Mikey, his face a mask of confusion.

Raphael slapped him across the head. "I don't know. Stay alert," he said, and followed the turtle and his brother out of the warehouse.


End file.
